1795+] 
has given me great information, and 
whatever has the approbation of fo great 
a matter as Dr. Hunt, wil! prejudice me 
much in its favour; and I heartily with 
you good fuccefs in thefe and all other your 
attempts. 
I hope I fhall have the pleafure of . 
meeting with you in town ina little time. 
The day is not abfolutely fixed when we 
fhall fet out from hence, but we think of 
fending away from hence our fervants at 
fartheft on the 29th inft. poffibly the 26th ; 
which day foever it is that they go from 
hence, we fha/l follow them in a day or 
two, 
It is with pleafure and with great truth 
that I fubfcribe myfelf, 
Dear fir, your’s very fincerely, 
Winton, A. A. SYKES. 
Thirfday, O. 18, 1750. 
Interrupted by accidents I could not 
make this up to fend it away time enough 
for the poft on Thurfday, and therefore 
am forced to keep it by me till this day, 
O8; 2. 
reer 
To Dr. G. SHARPE. 
DEAR Sir, Wincheffer, Aug. 7, 1751, 
Your’s of the 2d inftant did not come 
hither till this eveaing; and glad I was to 
hear of you, for I affure yon [ was under 
not tittle uneafinefs that I could not exprefs 
my thanks for your W/tile books, not know- 
ing in what part of the world you was. In 
it I find you refer to your Differration on 
the Origin, &c. of the Languages, p. 41, 
42, §2, §35 from whence I imagined it to 
have been publifhed, though I had not 
the pleafure of feeing it. - I return you a 
great many thanks for what I do fee, and 
I do not doubt but all lovers of letters will’ 
do the fame. Surely many of your re- 
marks are quite new; I own I ama dif- 
ciple of your’s, if you will give me leave 
to be fo, and I have learnt feveral things 
which every body muft be obliged to you 
for. Goon, and try what you can do to 
promote learning. 
I brought down with me hither a great 
book (méy« xvxév) upon the fubjeét of mi- 
racles: it feems Ihave given offence te the 
Original Letters of Dr. Sykes. 
403 
author (Dr. Dodwell) by what I faid about 
the credibility of miracles, and I ain an- 
fwered in a long p-eface of 68 pages.— 
How are men’s headsturned. Either he 
is 0: I am ftrangely miftaken in the way 
of proving the miracles of the gofpel. But 
methinks I am in the condition of a man 
that engages in a fray between a man and 
his wife, he moft probably draws both 
fides upon himfe f. I would not meddle 
in the controverfy betwixt Dr. Middleton 
and his adverfaries, but wanted and tried 
to fecure the miracies of the gofpel, let 
the oher be determined as it would, and 
I am treated as on Dr. Middleton’s tide of 
the queftion: and yet making conceflions, 
even ali thartheDo@or’s adverfaries defire, 
T am full of ioconfiftency and what not. Is 
this the man, that when learning revives, 
and religion once more raifes ber head, 18 to 
have his works foremoft in efie-m? Well, 
I am content to have endeavoured, and as 
I am not trying to walk in the roadto pre- 
ferment, I am willing to follow truth ; 
and as I am not afraid of following clofe, 
I am not afraid of her kicking me, or 
dafhing my teeth out of my head. 
Ob, Sir, I have feen, and been at Mr. 
Doddington’s * ftately manfion, and once 
thought and hoped, by means of my old 
friend Mr. Briflow, deceafed, to have 
been introduced to have kiffed his hands. 
But that pleafing expectation is over, and 
I am grown almoft out of the world, 
omnibus ignotus. I thall be, God walling, 
at Salifbury, on Saturday the 17th inft. 
preach there on Sunday the 18th, ftay 
there on Monday, and perhaps a day or 
two, as the weather and circumftances 
happen; then to return hither, where my 
wife and I fhall be glad to fee you. You 
know that we havea fpare bed, not at the 
houfe where once we lived, but in another 
as clofe to the weff end of the church as 
can be, which if you will make your own 
when you pleafe, you will give great pleas 
fure to, dear Sir, 
Your much obliged humble fervant, 
A. ies S$ YKES. 
My wife’s compliments wait on you. 
_ * Bubb Doddington, afterwards Lord Mele 
cembe. ~ 
3F a POETRY. 
